Machine for cutting and dredging ditches



1927 1,614,070 Jan 11 H. KLEINWORT MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND DREDGING DITCHES l Filed Nov. 30'. 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 1 2'. Jan 11 9 7 H. KLEINWORT MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND DREDGING BITCHES Filed Nov. 50 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented `lan. l1, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND DREDGING BITCHES.

Application led November 30, 1925, Serial No.72,388, and in Germany ,April 9, 1925.

rllhis invention relates to an agricultural implement or machine specially designed for marshy and boggy districts and forming -a` transportable mechanically driven ditch cuttingvand dredging machine.

lt is generally known that the cutting ot' ditches is the main condition for the cultivation of marshy and boggy ground. Subsequently it isffJfery important, in order to maintain the ground which has been reclaimed, to maintain the ditches permanently at clean state as the lucrativeness of the ground depends on this. The dredging of the ditches, which has to be done repeatedly after one or several years, has hitherto been done by hand-operated implements and caused considerable expense. One man requires about 40 days for the dredging of a ditch ot' about 500 meter length and which is often deeper' and broader than one meter, the mud removed from the ditch having also to be carried away and distributed. This example shows that tor the entertainment ot :i large marshy or boggy district an immense amount otl labour is required..

This invention has for its object to render the expensive work of dredging the ditches and of cutting the same cheaper and more easy to be carried out.

With this object in view a frame similar to a dredger is mounted on a vehicle frame mounted on -wheels and easy to steer, said dredger-like frame being adjustable in different manners. In this dredger-like frame a great number of tlat buckets being` designed not onl to effect thc cutting ot' the ditches but aso to dredge the same and to distribute the mud, earth or the like are arranged. The wind motor, interral combustion engine or engine ot any other type which drives the vehicle serves also for driving the buckets.

An embodiment of the invention is shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 shows, seen from the rear, a ditch-- cutting and dredging machine in operation. Fig. 2 shows 1n plan view the mechanism f for cutting and dred ing ditches.

Fig. b is a side e evation of the vehicle frame and driving elements.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows in side elevation the auxiliary car serving to support the dredging frame.

Fig. 6 shows in side elevation a single dredging bucket.

-The machine for cutting and dredging ditches is composed essentially of three main parts, e. g. the main car with the driving engine and driving gear (Figs. 3 and 4), the dredging frame (Fig. 2) and an auxiliary car for supporting the dredging frame (Fig. 3). l

The main car 3 mounted on two rear wheels 1 and on two front wheels 2, other supporting wheels being provided if necessary, is steered by three steering wheels 4 mounted on a worm shaft 5. The worm 6 gears with a worm Wheel 7 from which through the intermediary of two levers 8 and 9 the two front wheels 2 are driven.

'.lhe main car is propelled by the rear Wheels 1. .Sprocket wheels 10 on said rear wheels 1 are either driven by worm wheel drive or by ordinary gear wheel drive. Ap-

proximately at the middle of the main car a tower 11 is mounted in which a vertical driving shaft 12 is journalled. This shaft 12 is driven by a wind Wheel 13, by an internal combustion engine or by any other driving machine. The shaft 12 is journaled in a step bearing 15 and carries, above the step bearing, a bevel wheel 16 with which mesh bevel wheels 17 and 18.

The bevel wheel 17 drives the horizontal main shat't 19 which is journalled in a convenient manner in. several bearings. On this main shaft 19 a worin 20 is arranged with which meshes a worm wheel 22 keyed on a gear sli-att, 21 by which the'small sprocket wheels 23 are rotated. Dog clutches 24 on shaft 21 serve to prevent breaking of the chains 25 when the car veers round. tThe sprocket wheels 23 drive the sprocket wheels 10on the rear wheels 1 by means of the chains 25.

This transmission serves for the slow working speed while the higher working speed is transmitted directly from the bevel wheel 18 through the intermediary of a sprocket wheel 26 and chain 27 upon a sprocket wheel 28 and hence upon' gear wheels 29 and 30, the gear wheel 30 being keyed on the gear shaft 21 the same as the worm wheel 22. Both transmissions are evidently adapted to be thrown in or out ot gear.,

The main shaft 19 serves not only for" propellingthe main car but also for drivuit ing the dredging mechanism, which coneach at one end a bush bearing 32 pivotal"` by stays 66 which ly'mounted on the main shaft 19 and at the other end a bush bearing 33 in which the two oscillatable frame cheeks 34 are mount-- ed. The main frame cheeks and the oscillatable frame cheeks are each connected with one another. Stays 35 serve for securely {ixing the frame cheeks in position. In order to adjust the oscillatable frame cheeks 34 at any desired angleof inclination several holes 36 are provided in the main frame cheeks 31 for the stays 35. At the lower ends of the oscillatable frame cheeks 34, a third pair of horizontal frame cheeks 37 isv hingedly xed the free ends of these horizontal cheeks 38 being connected by links 39 With a. U-iron 40 carrying at its upper end an angle iron 41 having several holes. The-angle iron 41 can be fixed by means of bolts or the like on a segment 42 having also several holes and fixed on the frame cheeks 34 so that the horizontal position of the frame cheeks 37 can be ensured for any angle of inclination of the oscillatable frame cheeks 34. The dredging mechanism is driven by sprocket wheels 43 on the main shaft 19, by a chain 44 and sprocket wheels 45. Sprocket Wheels 46 keyed on the same shaft as the sprocket Wheels dri ve in the direction of the arrow the endless chains 47 on which t-he dredging buckets 48 are mounted. The endless chains 47 are further guided over` sprocket wheels 49, 50 and 51 and, guide Wheels 52 which are fixed by means of short studs and angle brackets 53 on the frame cheeks 34 so that the endless chains are guided Without impeding the buckets. The endless chains 47 .are guided on the area of the cheeks 34 and 37 in U-irons 40 or 54, Whilst in the area -of the main frame cheeks 31 angle irons 55 serve for guiding the endless chains so that at these points the buckets can be easily changed. An adjusting lscrew permits adjusting of the angle irons 55 with regard to the moving chains 47 and clamping screws 61 serve for regulating the tension of the entire chain drive.

'lhe buckets 48 are fixed on the endless chains by means of hinges 56 andy hinged arms 57. On each arm l Aand on 'the front edge of each bucket sharp knives 58, 59 respectively are arranged so that at the dredging of the ditches tangled roots, grass and the like can be easily removed.

A two-Wheel auxiliary car 62 serves for supporting the dredging frame. rl`he auxiliary car 62 is frame-shaped so that the dredging frame can move up and down in the same'. 'The'dredging frame is suspended on the auxiliar-year 62 by means of two Wire cables 63 Wound upon a rotatable shaft 65 which has a ratchet mechanism 64.

car by a coupling Shaft 67.

.boggy land, comprising in combination with In the Working 'I i posltion the auxih 62 1s securely connected with the maiiilZai-a are hingedl mount tha! tpley Canmove up and diiwnftofrgthii hlt t e allXlllary car. This is necessry as t e ground between the ditches is more or less swelled out at th iliary car 62 runs genee centre and the auX- of such length that th lieved the rear wheel dfsttlilys 66 must be re- 75 e auxiliar car 62 1S Connected with lille rear vheels of t e main 0f the two cars hai/i Similariiliaiiileeteishetiieq auxiliary Cal must love at the same speed as the main car C rame of the auxilla, cal. is urstuhlmted constucted in such a manne.`

at tgw can belmounted on the axles-o` 1n wifls :Si the auxillary car can be trailed by thug car when the machine 1s moved t'ro1n\x district to another, the dredging frame ahum all its accessories being lifted up and sccured in this position by a special device.

When the machine is intended to be used for cutting and dredging ditches it is put together as shown in Fig. 1. After the vdredging frame with the buckets has been adjusted to the required position the chain drive 47 is driven by starting the engine. By engaging the main car drive the main car is advanced in accordance with theworking buckets, the direction in which the main car moves being easily regulated by the steering wheels 4 accessible from each side. As soon as the buckets 48, which can be accurately adjusted to any desired height with the aid oi' the auxiliary car 69., arrive underneath the main frame cheeks 37 they are emptied overv the entire width of the ground owing to their convenient shape and arrangement. j

lt is evident that the constructional details ot' the dredging machine may be modified according to requirement Without. departing from the idea of the invention.

I claim 1. Machine for cutting and dredging ditches for the cultivation of marshy and a motor vehicle having a driving shaft, a dredging bucket-frame transversely mounted on this vehicle and composed ofthree elements each consisting of two frame cheeks, namely, of a long horizontal top element oscillatable around said driving shaft, of a'A middle element serving for vertically working on the ditch Walls and oscillatably mounted onv the free end of said top element, and of a horizontal bottom element oscillatably mounted on the free end of the middle element, lever-like extensions of said middle element, and sii'pporting .rods for moving said middle element and for securely connecting the same with said top element, and

tu'. i

an anglebow for adjustingy said bottom element on said middleelement so that it stands horizontal to said middle element, and a conveyor-chain on which the buckets are mounted arranged between said frame cheeks, and sprocket wheels for driving said conveyor chain. v

2. Machine for cutting and dredgin ditches for the cultivation of marshy an boggy land, comprising in combination with a motor vehicle having a driving shaft, a dredging bucket-frame transversely mounted on this vehicle and composed of three ele` ments each consisting of two frame cheeks, namely. of a long horizontal top element oscillatable around said driving shaft, of a middle element serving for vertically .working on the ditch walls and oscillatably mounted on the free end of said top element, and of a horizontal bottom element oscillatably mounted on the free end of the middle element, lever-like extensions of said middle element, and supporting rods for moving sau] n'ucldle element and for securely connecting the same with said top element, and an angle bow for adjusting said bottomelement on said middle element so thatv it stands horizontal to said middle element, andl a. conf veyor-chain on which the buckets are mounted arranged between said frame cheeks, and sprocket wheels for driving said conveyor chain, a two wheeled auxiliary vehicle at the side of said motor vehicle on which aux iliary vehicle said top element of the dredging-frame is mounted so that it can be a justed in vertical direction, a driving wheel7 and hinged stays for connecting said auxiliary vehicle with said motor vehicle.l

3. In a machine for cutting and dredging ditches as claimed in claim 1, buckets of semi-circular and trough-shaped cross-section, a knife at the front edge of each bucket, and two lateral knives on said buckets for cutting roots, grass and similar obstacles in the ditch.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

HEINRICH KLEIN VORT. 

